


On Babysitters, Being Immortal & The Lovely Colour Grey

by MayRoss



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Character Development, F/M, Fluff and Smut, I'm too dramatic, Mutant Powers, Mutant Reader, Reader-Insert, Slow Burn, WIP, just every now and again, not loaded with smut, some angst and drama as well, when it works
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-01
Updated: 2019-04-30
Packaged: 2019-04-30 17:03:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 11,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14501550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MayRoss/pseuds/MayRoss
Summary: Y/N is an agent working for Shield part-time. Her former relationship with Tony Stark had driven her away from home and she was content with her normal job and helping out Shield; until she meets Loki Laufeyson and her world changes in unexpected ways.check out the spotify playlist that goes with this whole story: https://open.spotify.com/user/11142497815/playlist/0oGYrOCTgHozPl2jgzyjnE?si=nRoFZnWqSzeuxumRKvylMQ





	1. April 30 2013, SHIELD Helicarrier

**Author's Note:**

> This is a long story I've been writing for several years now! Any and all feedback is much appreciated and since it's a work-in-progress, ideas might even get taken on board. So comment away!

“Why has Fury never told me he contacted you?”  
Tony had raised his voice, throwing his hands into the air agitatedly while power walking, trying to keep up with his college friend and college ex-girlfriend Y/N.  
“Tony, I’m going to repeat myself here. I don’t fucking know. I’m not gonna act like Fury didn’t know we knew each other. He quite obviously did. Nothing escapes that guy," Y/N tried to stay calm and not let Tony get to her. He was always so dramatic and irritating these days.  
“It’s not like you’ve been a part of SHIELD for very long. I’ve probably been with them for longer than you have”, she continued, shooting him a pointed look.  
“That doesn’t explain anything. I haven’t seen you for 15 years, just met you again and suddenly I show up here and you’re an Avenger like us!”  
“I am not an Avenger. I’m an agent of SHIELD and I help out where I can. Just like I’ve done for the past two years. And while I’m not helping out here I will go back to my day to day job.”  
Tony just shook his head and they walked in silence for a moment.“If you will excuse me now, Tony. I have a shift of villain watching to attend that I would love to skip but can’t because otherwise, Fury will have my head on a plate.”  
“Okay, okay. But I’m gonna pick you up later so we can talk about this!”, he shouted after her while Y/N just raised her middle finger. He was insufferable today and she was not up for it.  
Letting out a sigh she slowed down a bit and saw Natasha in the break room, reading a magazine. Y/N popped her head in the door. “Nat, can you give me some insight who I’m supposed to be watching now? Because Fury wouldn’t tell me why he needed me of all people to do this shitty job”, she asked casually.  
Nat looked up and furrowed her brow.  
“This one is a bit too much to handle for agents without powers. He has a way of tricking people and escaping, so Fury probably wanted to be on the safe side.”  
“What kind of evil dumbass are we talking about?”  
“Loki Laufeyson. Thor’s psychotic brother.” 

After sitting in silence for hours with the prisoner, Y/N finally dared to hope just for once she could just sit and not talk. But this hope was crushed before her shift ended and to say she was annoyed was an understatement. When the prisoner started speaking a sly grin was on his face.  
“Haven’t seen you aroun …”  
“Shut the fuck up”, she interjected.  
For a second Loki was stumped and his grin fell. But he regained his composure quickly, not willing to give up yet.  
“What’s your nam…”  
“Nope.”  
“How have I never hea …”“No.”  
“You’re being terribly rude right now”, Loki stated, only very slightly annoyed that she didn’t even look up the whole time. She had been leaning back in that very, very uncomfortable looking chair, her eerily snow white hair flowing over the back of it. She had been staring at the ceiling for the whole time she had been there. Now she just let out an indifferent groan.  
Loki squinted and cocked his head to the side.  
“Doesn’t your neck hurt? You have been sitting in this manner for hours now.”  
No response.  
“Your shift must surely be over soon.”  
Loki didn’t give up. He never did. But he also wondered - why, after the string of nervous, boring, young recruits that were there to watch him, did Nick Fury send her. She wasn’t nervous, she wasn’t wearing SHIELD gear and he didn't know anything about her, which made his attempts at tricking her into letting him go significantly harder.  
All the other agents who had watched him in the past day all had fled when he started speaking to them and just didn’t even give him the chance to what he did best - manipulate.  
What were they all thinking anyway? He had the right to a throne and the plans he had for earth were to liberate them. Why couldn’t these pesky humans not understand this?  
Pesky human. He liked that.  
“Pesky human, would you ever grace me with your attention?”  
“Okay”, she finally said, sitting upright in the chair. “Listen. I’m not here because I like this job. I’m not here because I honestly very much care, me personally, whether you break out or not. You will eventually. I just know that I have to talk to your dumbass now and later another idiot is going to pick me up here and is going to talk to me more when all I want is to get off this flying saucer and go back to my regular people job, which is infinitely more exciting right now. So I would appreciate it if you could shut the hell up.”  
After her monologue had ended she went back to her previous position, staring at the ceiling. “Who’s going to pick you …”  
And that was it. Y/N stood up and approached the glass cell Loki was held in.  
Before the latter could actually feel triumphant he felt his arms being pulled up by an invisible force. Suddenly he was hanging upside down in a very undignified position.  
“Not … Another … Word.”  
With every one of her words, he was slammed from one glass wall of the cell into another before he was ruggedly placed back in the middle of the cell. Somehow he landed on his feet.  
A chuckle came from the entrance of the room and when he looked over, barely being able to see straight from the unexpected manhandling, he saw Tony Stark standing there.  
“If you were anyone else I would actually apologise. She has a bit of a temper”, he said nonchalantly, cockily sauntering over to Y/N’s side. She was still staring Loki down but her stance had relaxed.  
“Stop humouring me, Stark. You don’t apologise”, Loki just said, smiling, dusting off his coat.  
“You were serious when you said you would pick me up, huh”, Y/N said and pinched the bridge of her nose with her fingers.  
“I told you, you owed me about 1 billion stories, Y/N. Shall we get going?”  
“And then? Are you going to treat me to a coffee from one of the vending machines? I can hardly wait”, Y/N said sarcastically while walking out, not looking back.  
Y/N, huh. Loki would remember that name.  
But he would not see her again for a long time.


	2. March 3 2013, Stark Residence, Malibu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a rocky start to their reunion, Tony and Y/N seem to be finally be able to form a friendship again, after all these years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Exposition! Get to know the characters! As always, ideas and feedback are very much appreciated!

“Wanna see something cool?” Y/N said, skipping into Tony’s lab and hopping onto his desk.  
He looked up from the welding he was doing and flipped up his visor. “Is it another photo you took of the sunset or something actually cool this time?”, he asked sarcastically and she just stuck her tongue out.  
“You haven’t stopped talking about your suit and my powers for the four weeks since I showed up here and now you’re telling me you don’t want to see what I can do. Okay!”, Y/N spoke with false defiance and was about to run out of the lab and up the stairs when Tony ran after her. “Are you serious? I’m going to kick your ass!”  
“Well then put on that little suit of yours and we can go a few rounds”, she shouted and laughed. Tony laughed, too, and put on his suit. “JARVIS, I have a reputation to uphold. But if you actually let her get hit by a single missile I’m programming feelings into you just so I can torture you, understood?”  
“Understood, sir.”

Having Y/N back in his life made Tony happy. After things had gotten weird with Pepper and they decided to take a break he had been feeling lost. Until one day, as perfectly timed as ever, Y/N had stood in his living room while he and the other Avengers were taking cover from a sudden aerial attack from a yet unidentified enemy.   
He realised how much he had missed her when he suddenly heard her voice from his hiding place behind the couch he had just bought a month ago and was already mourning because about 6 missiles were inbound to destroy it in mere seconds. He could just buy at again but damn he loved that couch.   
"Seriously, Tony? After 15 years I decide to swing by, an all grown up JARVIS lets me in because he still recognizes me and you're in trouble?"   
When they all popped their heads up tentatively she just stood there. Her hair still as white as he had accidentally made it when they were messing around with genetics in college and she was their guinea pig. And above her hands they were floating, the six missiles that would have most probably killed them. Not the most dignified reunion he could have wished for.   
Y/N was still talking while he was trying to process the sight in front of him. She was gesticulating and basically juggled the missiles around, making all of the soon to be Avengers recoil.   
Finally, she shook her head and turned around. With a flick of her hand she propelled the missiles back towards the choppers and jets who were now swerving in panic, but Y/N, being the natural homing missile software she was, just walked towards them and threw her purse onto the coffee table.   
"My god, am I glad I was too lazy to get up and grab the remote all these years."  
Tony had just walked up to her and enveloped her in a hug.   
"I have never been more glad to see you, Y/N", he had breathed out and she had just laughed.   
"Well, Stark, she definitely has your sense for cinematics", Natasha, who had recovered first, stated. With a grin, she walked up to Y/N and stuck out her hand.   
"Natasha Romanoff, Agent of SHIELD, Ex-Assassin and incredibly glad this is not a sausage fest anymore with you here."   
Y/N just grinned and while Tony had explained how they knew each other everyone introduced themselves. 

Now she had been living with him for a lack of a better option. Not that he minded terribly. She was a good roommate.   
While he was working in the lab she was mostly upstairs listening to music and training or out working. It was a good arrangement. Sometimes he wished her away, especially when Pepper made her weekly personal visits as the new CEO of Stark Enterprises and her eyes shot daggers at Y/N. At least she still cared for him.   
Today was a day like so many others. He had buried himself in work and had only looked up when Y/N brought him a plate of suspiciously healthy looking food around midday. Now the sun was dipping low on the horizon when suddenly his comm acted up.   
"JARVIS, no, you shut up."  
Y/N's voice and laughter rang throughout his lab.   
"You two are becoming friends fast - when's the wedding?", Tony asked sarcastically.   
"Mr Stark, you are well aware I'm unable to have romantic feelings."   
JARVIS replied, not understanding the sarcasm this time.   
"Don't worry, JARVIS, Tony's just jealous. Speaking of which, wanna come upstairs and see something I’ve been working on?", Y/N asked.   
Some fast paced music and wind was heard in the background.   
"What? You mean after months you are finally about to show me what you’ve been doing with your gift all these years?”   
He cut his comm and went upstairs, grabbing two bottles of water before heading out onto the balcony.   
From where he stood he could see her about a mile away, hovering above the ocean waves.   
"Okay, supergirl, show me something cool", Tony said, exaggeratedly acting bored.   
He just heard her laugh in response when all his audio systems started blasting his favourite AC/DC song.   
In the distance he could see her whirling around, spinning faster and faster and when it actually happened, he spluttered out all the water he was about to drink - she was creating a tornado.   
With her telekinetic powers, she sucked up the water and, while whirling around, created a violent hurricane.   
"Don't worry, I contacted Rhodey, they know what's up. And besides, I got it under control. Isn't this cool?", she yelled excitedly and Tony actually smiled.   
"It's awesome, Y/N. Although I'm not so sure I want to spar with you anymore. I'm actually scared for my safety."  
"Aww, T, I would never hurt you, you know that, if just because you just admitted how fucking badass I am." 


	3. Tony and Y/N's relationship back in the day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Y/N's relationship back in college; how they met, how they fell in love, what drove them apart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is a chapter I wrote because to me, it describes my vision of this elusive Y/N character well. This is semi-relevant to later chapters so I would say read it if you want to, but if you're not into the idea of a Tony Stark x reader relationship you can also skip it. We'll get back to the Loki aspect of this story after this one, which acts more like another exposition.  
> Light mentions of smut in this one, but nothing too dramatic.

It wasn’t the first time Tony had been called into the dean’s office. But this day would be different and it would change his life forever.  
“Mr Stark,” the dean said when Tony entered the room, not looking up from his paperwork.  
“Sir,” Tony replied and walked up to the desk. The dean just waved for him to take a seat. About a minute passed when the dean finally put down his pen and folded his hands, looking at Tony. “How are you doing, Mr Stark?”  
“Well, sir, thank you. How are you?”  
“I’m good. I’ve asked you here for a particular reason today.” The dean leaned back in his chair. “This is a very personal matter for me so please forgive me if I am not my usual self,” he said, sitting back in his chair and running his hand through his hair.  
Tony was stunned but before he could say anything the dean let out a long sigh.  
“You are one of our best students; the best, if you could excuse my lack of professionalism.” Tony opened his mouth to thank him but he silenced him immediately. “This is about my daughter,” the dean started, “since birth, she has had a … gift. Others call it a condition, but I know she’s uniquely and remarkably gifted. She’s your age and she has been training day and night for as long as I can remember.” The dean’s eyes wandered and he seemed lost in thought.  
“What do you want me to do?” Tony asked quietly, stunned. “I need you to figure out the extent of her power. I need you to help her reach her full potential. She won’t rest until she has got it all figured out. Also, I think she needs someone to ground her. She doesn’t have many friends, and I think you two would get along.”  
Tony just nodded and the dean looked over.  
“Do you think you could do this for me?”  
He looked so helpless and confused Tony could not resist. Taking this opportunity might help him with his dissertation, even though he didn’t think it would. So he nodded.  
“It would be my honour, sir.”  
The dean just nodded and looked at his watch. “I need to leave now, I have an appointment in 10 minutes. Meet her in the music room in the west wing on Wednesday at around 3 pm.”  
Tony nodded and walked out, saying goodbye to the secretary and as soon as he was in his room he just let out a sigh and exclaimed a loud, exasperated “what the fuck?!?”.

On Wednesday he slowly made his way to the music room. He had never even been near there or even seen someone in there, which is why it puzzled him that she would meet him there.  
He had mulled over his conversation with the dean since it happened. Every day he found new meanings and he had more and more questions. And something in him told him he would regret taking this on. He wished he had said no. That he was too busy with the uni work he was already assigned or something stupid like that. Even his roommate didn’t understand why he did it. “This is not like you, Tony. Letting the dean make you do more and more work,” Hector had mindlessly muttered, his head buried in a book.  
“You gonna go?”  
And Tony had nodded, but now he wasn’t so sure. Something about all of this made him want to turn around and fake an illness. But then again he never shied away from a problem.  
When he got closer to the room he suddenly heard classical music. It seemed to be coming from the music room and when he got closer he saw that the door was ajar. Did someone have practice? Did the dean mess up the time?  
Peeking inside he saw a single, Y/H/C girl crosslegged on the grand piano. She had her eyes closed and a slight smile graced her lips.  
When he looked to the right he expected to see about for musicians but what he saw made him gasp and step a few steps backwards. A string quartet was hovering in the air.  
That must have been her. The dean did say something about a condition.  
He walked closer again and stepped inside. It took all of his courage to close the door behind him and lean against the wall. All his cockiness had suddenly disappeared. She, however, gave him more time to compose himself, calmly finishing the song.  
When she was done she opened her eyes and the instruments calmly flew back into their cases.  
“Schubert,” she said.  
Tony looked at her with wide eyes. She was still not looking at him, staring at her hands. “It’s Schubert. The piece I just played. Did you like it?”  
That’s when her eyes met his. They were of such an electrifying Y/E/C colour he started stuttering. “Um … ye .. yes. It was … great, honestly.”  
She slid off the piano with such grace, hovering in the air for a few moments before she hit the ground. Mesmerised by the movement of her body he awkwardly stepped forward extending his hand. “Tony Stark.”  
She reached out and shook it gently.  
She smiled at him mischievously, like she knew something he didn’t, before replying.  
“Y/N.”  
A sudden rush of positive feelings overcame him. That finally relaxed him to the point where he could flash her one of his cocky smiles.“This is going to be good.” 

Love had come easy for the both of them. The more time they spent together, the more they talked late into the night in the bar that soon became their usual. Sitting at the bar until Dave called last round, soft jazz playing in the background. Y/N sipping her wine, Tony nipping at his whisky and coke. The dim lights and fairy lights that were strewn about the place twinkling lazily.  
Tony remembered the moment when he realised that, what he first presumed to be a crush, had turned into a love so deep and genuine it made his skin tingle.  
It was the day before Christmas and it had started snowing thick, pillowy snowflakes. She was waiting for him outside after his last lecture of the day and she was beaming. Wrapped up in layers and layers of grey wool, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet.  
He walked up to her and kissed her cheek. When he pulled back he was stunned into silence. A few snowflakes had congregated in her hair, her cheeks were pink and her eyes were twinkling.  
She was chatting away and giggling but all he could do was smile and look at her. Somewhere close by a few students were playing “I’ve Got My Love To Keep Warm” on trumpets and horns and she took his hand. When he didn’t move fast enough she started dancing through the snow, twirling and flying a few inches in the air every now and again. He could not tell if she realised she was doing it. She seemed so happy and elated.  
The sun had been setting when he left the building and now the fairy lights on the trees and every streetlight on campus had turned on and she ran up to him, coming to a halt in front of him. “Why so rigid? Is something up?” she asked, furrowing her brow in concern.  
“I think I just realised something,” Tony said softly and she looked at him questioningly. “I love you.”  
When he said it he started to smile. He brought his hand up to her face and stroked her cheek gently. She leaned into it and for a second he could not believe what he was seeing.  
She gently took his face into her hands and stepped closer, until their noses were almost touching.  
“I love you, too, Tony.”  
And with that, she kissed him so passionately his arms encased her hips and pulled her against him. When they broke apart they were breathing heavily and giggling. “You know what?” he asked her, smirking. Y/N felt like her legs were going to give in, melting underneath his gaze.  
“This is going to be good.” 

It was not her innocence that he loved, because she was not innocent. She could be hard and unforgiving at times, especially about other people. When someone insulted her she would strike back, violently and without remorse. If he hadn’t known her as well as he did he would’ve been scared. But when things like that happened he let her do whatever she would and stepped back - and afterwards, he would hold her in his arms and kiss her. Yet, she was one of the most gentle people he had ever met. Since he had met her there were always flowers. One day, suddenly on his desk, in her room in the gigantic house of her father, and, in the summer, in her hair. They were swinging freely and her hair looked like liquid gold, trying to rival her smile with its radiance. The way the snow excited her on the day he first told her he loved her was the way she was with everything. Passionate. When they were working together on her powers and when they were making love. More often than not she would just take off her clothes and lie naked on the fur rug in her room. Lying there, perfectly still, softly humming to herself, she was so distracting that he gave up on his work, walked over to her and lost himself in the endless pleasures of her body. More often than not would she pull him into an empty classroom or bathroom and have her will with him. She was everything he had ever needed.  
She grounded him, got him away from his work, from the pressure that his father put on him and took him out dancing or drinking. When he got tense she would kiss him senseless and hold him while he muttered to no one in particular. But she always listened. When he went home he was gushing about her to Jarvis in a way that made the old butler smile softly. 

Sometimes they were working until late into the night. Stacks of books and their two laptops surrounding them, Tony was trying to understand the extent of Y/N’s powers. What he had thought would be a nuisance and a waste of time soon became an emotional case for him. Most of his spare time he spent with Y/N, even when they were not working.  
Nothing compared to the moments when they reached a point of discovery. When Y/N finally manipulated the water in front of her they felt so elated and proud that he basically lunged forward kissing her so passionately she let out a yelp and fell backwards. Then he would fuck her against a wall and their love-making would be so passionate she would find herself unable to get up afterwards.  
Every now and again he would take her out to dinner, marvelling at her body in her nice dresses and they would talk about everything in their lives. Soon he thought that she was the love of his life. And maybe she was. But one day turned everything upside down. In later years he sometimes regret how he had handled things - but his life had turned out alright.  
It was the day when the news of his parents’ death had reached him. He went over to her place in a daze of alcohol and grief, crying uncontrollably. The night and the day after he spent in her arms, her father once every now and again bringing food for them and shooting Y/N worried looks.  
After he left to take a shower his mind went on a tangent that he would not recover from for a while. He shut her out.  
He stopped replying to her messages, barely ever took her calls. When she was standing outside his door crying, worried sick, he would tell her he was fine and she would cry even more. Sometimes he insulted her. He was cruel and he could not feel a single thing.  
At some point, she stopped coming.  
When he recovered from the loss he tried calling her. He tried to ignore the nagging feeling in the back of his head that he had made a mistake that he wouldn’t be able to go back on.  
Her phone number had changed and was out of service.  
It took him a while to get the courage and see her father, scared of what he would say. When he did go he told him that she had moved somewhere else and she didn’t want Tony to know.  
Her father wasn’t angry at Tony, but Tony was. He hated himself for throwing away the one good thing he had in his life.  
It took him a long time to stop missing her, and even then he did not forget her.  
About two years after she disappeared, a letter reached him in which she told him that leaving was one of the best but hardest decisions in her life. She wrote that she forgave him but that she did want to leave it be. He cried while reading it. He got drunk that night and when he woke up the next day he decided he needed to stop and he moved on.  
And they didn’t see each other until that day she decided to go to his place and found the Avengers crouching behind the sofa.


	4. May 24 2015, Asgard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why would the All-Mother of the Nine Realms call a simple Midgardian to her?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go, we're getting into it! Bit of a shorter chapter, but nonetheless I hope you enjoy

“With all due respect, All-Mother. Why me?”  
Y/N was sat on a comfortable chaise longue in the All-Mother’s garden.  
Thor was standing not far away, watching her. In the last two years, she had slowly been, somewhat involuntarily, assimilated into the Avengers, which, she suspected, was nobody else’s but Nick Fury’s doing. She had moved into Stark Tower with all of them about half a year ago and with all the missions she had been getting involved in, she had slowly but surely gathered some interest from the press and a little fan base. And, like the others, also something of an anti-fanbase. Becoming one of ‘Earth’s Mightiest Heroes’ had never been her plan; quite the contrary, she had wanted to avoid that path ever since she had discovered her powers when she was a teenager. But, alas, here she was.  
In the last few months everything had gotten a bit too much though and now all she wanted was to get away from the Avengers for a while. Pietro and Wanda Maximoff had taken refuge with them a few months ago, and, having telekinetic powers, she was ordered to help Wanda find her way. That meant she would have to live in the tower with Steve, Tony, Nat, Clint and what seemed to her hundreds of other people who rotated through. Thor had been there on and off and one day he approached her with a very strange request. The All-Mother of the Nine Realms wanted to speak to her.  
“I know you have watched him before. Before the Battle of New York. You are still with SHIELD, I presume?”  
“I am indeed,” Y/N replied, not any smarter than before.  
“Y/N of Midgard. Your telekinetic and, to some extent, telepathic powers make you perfect for the task. You are one of the most powerful mutants earth has to offer. I will compensate you generously for your help - while your telepathic powers are still weak, you will attend private training to enhance them. There is more potential in you than you might now realise,” the All-Mother said while cutting another branch off her lush rose bush. Y/N shot Thor a look, who just shrugged.  
“A personal trainer?”  
That particular sentence had caught her attention. All her life she had spent training and training, extending her powers, pushing herself. Learning from an Asgardian how to do what she couldn’t before, actually use her telepathy for more than just blocking attacks of the same kind, made her salivate.  
Frigga turned around at this. “We all know Loki is more than meets the eye. And while I would like to lock him up for the rest of eternity, he is my son. I am not ready to give up just yet, and neither is Thor. So if you do not do it for me, do it for him.” Thor just nodded at that. He was with his mother on this point. He felt like he would never give up on Loki, no matter how hopeless the situation seemed.  
“You do not depend on me, All-Mother, Thor. But I must admit, there’s nothing on Earth that would draw me there and I’m not particularly intimidated by the Son of Laufey,” Y/N said and got up. “I will do as you bid, All-Mother.”  
“Very well, Lady Y/N. I will meet with you tomorrow here for the specifics. Thank you, you are dismissed.”  
Cassia just bowed lightly, gave Thor a half smile and left the garden.  
Thor was about to follow her out when Gaea, Frigga and Idunn all turned around.  
“Do not think you will not have obligations here now, Thor,” Gaea said, smiling,  
“Whatever do you mean, mother?” Thor said, obviously confused, taking a few steps closer.  
“With all our knowledge, you know your brother’s antics better than any of us. We want you to keep an eye on him,” Idunn explained.  
“I don’t think that will be necessary, mother. He will be confined to his cell and she will visit him, what should happen? She can protect herself,” Thor stuttered, confused.  
“It is not her safety we are concerned about. You are to watch your brother. He is not to kiss her or lie with her while she is in our service.”  
“But, All-Mother, …”  
“Thor?!”  
“Yes, All-Mother.”


	5. May 28 2015, Asgard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the All-Mother's request to keep an eye on Loki, Y/N gets to visit him for the first time.

“You’ve been here for so long and now you grace me with a visit? How sweet.”  
Loki hadn’t even turned around when Thor and Y/N came to a halt in front of his cell. Thor just looked confused and moved to mutter into Cassia’s ear.“How does he know you?” he asked, puzzled. Y/N just shook her head, signaling to him that now was not the time and she would explain later. “One side of me wants to ask you how you knew I was here, but the other just wants to know how you remember me," she then said, addressing Loki.  
“Rumour had it that a white-haired, eery looking, yet human SHIELD agent was not only in the palace but meeting with the All-Mother. The guards aren’t too smart, they talk about all sorts in front of me …”, Loki waved his hands around and grinned.   
Thor slightly fell for this attempt at intimidation and furrowed his brow, but Y/N didn’t. As much as she wanted to tease Loki for remembering her, she held it back. He knew his type. Nothing would drive him crazier than no reaction on her part.   
“Then you probably know I’ve been appointed to be your babysitter.”  
“I do”, Loki just replied, almost cutting her off, his face turning sour. He didn’t like that description.   
Y/N parted the walls of his cell with her hands and stepped inside. She rounded the cell once, letting her fingers wander over the fabric of the cushions, reading the titles of the books on the shelf. After she had seen everything she turned to him and looked him in the eyes.  
“What does Thor see right now? Are we talking?”  
Loki hesitated but accepted this defeat.  
“Playing chess.”  
“Very well.”  
Loki slowly started walking around her, trying to figure her out.   
“So what exactly can you do with those powers of yours?” he asked, genuinely curious.   
Y/N just chuckled and shook her head.“You seriously think I’m gonna tell ya?”  
When she smiled Loki stepped closer, scrutinising her face. For the first time since they had met, she felt uneasy. Finally, he stepped back and cracked a sly grin.  
“It was worth a try, was it not?”  
Y/N shrugged. “I guess.”  
They stood in silence for a moment before Y/N sighed and went to a nearby table, setting up a game of chess.  
“Well, I am your babysitter now, so you better get used to it. Let’s make the best of this situation.”  
Looking up at him expectantly, Loki sat down and they began playing.  
“Do you remember what you said to me when you were watching me on the helicarrier?”  
“That you should shut up?”, she replied, grinning smugly.  
“That you personally didn’t care whether I broke out or not.”  
“I did say that. I also said ‘because you will eventually’.”  
Loki was silent for a few moves, contemplating her words and trying to find the hidden meaning he suspected behind them.   
“So do you care now?”  
Y/N sat up straight, took a deep breath and leaned forward, looked at him intently.  
“Okay listen, Loki.”  
It was the first time he heard her say his name and he liked the way it sounded. So different from anybody else’s skewed version of it. Always tainted with something; hate, fear, judgement.   
“I don’t care whether you break out or not. I don’t care whether you destroy the Earth or not. Also, I don't ... never mind.”  
Her eyes were now boring into his and he shifted, hanging onto her every word.  
“What I do care about is the agreement I made with the All-Mother. I care about me, and a select few other people.”  
“You’re lying. You would care if I destroyed your planet.”  
“If there’s still another place for me in the galaxy? Not very much. I’m not a very sentimental person.”, Y/N seemed lost in thought for a moment.   
Loki left the matter alone for now, realising he wouldn't get much out of her when he barely knew her and didn't know what buttons he had to push. But, he now understood the All-Mother’s decision to send him Y/N as a guard a little bit better.


	6. August 3 2015, Asgard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Y/N and Loki are slowly getting used to their new arrangement.

“Good afternoon, Y/N.”  
“That’s ‘babysitter’ to you, Mister.”  
Loki turned around with a smirk and was met with a wide grin on the woman’s face. She had finally gotten into the habit of wearing Asgardian clothing, even though it was a rather … untraditional way of wearing it. She usually had a belt looping around her waist. If she was even wearing a dress it was usually short.  
“You look as strange as always, Midgardian.”  
“I said ‘babysitter’, Loki, surely you haven’t gone deaf,” Y/N teased again and ran her hands through her white hair. She looked at him expectantly, motioning towards the chess table.  
“Shall we?” Loki let out a quick laugh but agreed and sat down.  
“Why do you want to play if you almost always lose?”  
Y/N just shrugged and smiled while arranging the pieces on the board. “What does it matter? It’s fun. And besides, sometimes I do win!” She seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood today. Her thinking made little sense to Loki, but somehow he was sure she was genuine. Something about her demeanour radiated with confidence and deviance. He liked seeing her like this.  
They started playing and there was silence, but he felt her watching him.  
“Like what you see?” He smirked and looked up at her.  
“Just doing my job, evaluating your mental state. I’ve told you about what I have to do every day.”  
He nodded. “Still, you seem awfully chipper today. Has anything happened I should know about?”  
She leaned back and laughed, abandoning the game for a moment, looking pleased with herself.  
“Nothing you should know about, no. Correct me if I’m wrong but is there anything you _should_ know about?”  
“Your powers maybe. I’m still so very curious.” She shook her head at him and leaned over the game again.  
“I’m still not sure how much is safe to tell you, Loki.”  
But when she made her next move without using her hands Loki broke out into a smile. He raised his head and stared into her eyes. His eyes were glowing and full of passion and she was taken aback. His gaze didn’t waver, he only cocked his head to the side. For some reason, she didn’t have the nerve to deny him today. So she sighed, stood up and paced to the middle of the room. Crossing her legs in the air she hovered there for a moment while Loki watched her closely.  
Y/N beckoned the water from the pitcher on the table next to him towards her. Her hands moved gracefully, tenderly moving the water around until she was enveloped in a big ball of thin, watery threads. Loki stood up and examined the threads. “Doesn’t seem very handy in combat”, he murmured, trying to mask the fact that he was fascinated.  
_Well aren’t you uncreative. Imagine larger bodies of water, larger objects and a large number thereof. There is great power in velocity and also quantity._  
He was startled into taking a few steps back when he heard her voice loud and clear in his head.  
“Did you just invade my mind?” His brows were furrowed and he almost looked angry.  
Y/N stood back on the ground and raised her hands. She was a bit confused, but soon it became much clearer to her. Of course mind-reading wasn’t something unusual for him, but it being done to him … He did have a lot of secrets, which he guarded well. Even while gently prodding, Y/N could not get anywhere close to his thoughts. She didn’t tell him about that, though.  
“I rarely ever read anyone’s mind. I don’t like knowing people’s innermost secrets. Besides, I only recently learned to properly use this aspect of my powers.” She tried to sound calming and reassuring but Loki looked angrier with every moment, his hands curling into fists and uncurling, as if he was getting ready to defend himself.  
“To answer your question, no. I have not. I just projected words into your mind.” His stance relaxed slightly but he was still on guard.  
He had to test whether or not she was telling the truth. One attempt at getting into her brain proved fruitless so he resorted to thinking the strangest and most inappropriate things he could fathom. She was still looking at him, waiting. But she was showing no reaction whatsoever.He played a few scenes in his mind. Tony Stark dying painfully. The earth exploding. Himself strangling her and stabbing her.  
Imagining being so close to her made him wonder what her hair would smell like.  
Loki had to shake his head to get rid of that though. Where the hell did that come from?! He must have gone insane somewhere in the past two months. He shrugged it off and Y/N took that as confusion about her powers.  
In that moment a guard walked up to the cell.  
“Lady Y/N, Thor would like to see you in his sleeping quarters immediately.”  
Y/N shot the guard a quick look and nodded, thanking him for the message.  
“Unfortunately, my visit has been shorter today. But I will be back tomorrow of course. Goodbye, Loki.”  
Loki nodded and bit back the smile he would have usually given her. He let himself fall down on the chaise longe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I'm still updating this fic but since I started writing this years ago, the next chapter that would go up I'm really not happy with so I'll need to rework it - and it's a tricky one. Meanwhile, my laptop was also broken. So now I'll have to figure something out and it might take a while but I will update this, don't you worry. thank you for your patience x


	7. November 20 2015, Asgard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Y/N's last visit to Loki's cell.

“You keep coming back. Why?” Loki stopped in his tracks and turned around in his cell to face Y/N, trying to intimidate her.  
“I have to, remember?”, she said with a sarcastic smile.  
“You keep losing our chess games. And every day you ask me for another”, Loki said not giving in, stepping another step closer.  
“You’ve asked this before and I’m going to say the same thing again: It’s fun! And sometimes I even win.”  
Y/N was just as stubborn as the imprisoned God before her and was not about to give in. Whatever he wanted to get out of her, he would have to try harder than this.  
“Why don’t you just admit that you like me”, Loki teased, standing in front of her, very much too close for comfort.  
“The last time I said I liked anything you called me a ‘pesky human’ again and we had the same argument we had hundreds of times before.”  
Loki just stood and looked at her. He would be lying if he said he didn't want her to feel something when she was with him. All the days, all the hours they had spent in this cell talking, playing chess, just sitting next to each other and reading had made him realise how much he actually enjoyed the company. And while she was in no way being cold to him, she also never uttered a word about whether or not she enjoyed it. She just treated him … normal. Not like a prisoner, not like someone who invaded her home planet, killed hundreds of people. It felt … nice.  
He tried to tell himself it was just that, not her. He just liked the company and not being treated like a criminal, that that was all. How could he? Love is such a human emotion. Thor had fallen in love and it had made him weak and fallible.  
Yet, he had an unknown feeling in his chest and the only way to explain it was that he had fallen in love with his “babysitter”, as she jokingly called herself. He had fallen in love with the human mutant the All-Mother had assigned to keep him out of trouble. He felt like he could not sink lower.  
He wasn’t going to give up without a fight, however. If he had these feelings he would at least try to use them to his advantage. It’s like they say - make your weakness your strength.  
“Loki, you’re becoming weak. No sarcastic rebuttal? What happened?”, Y/N laughed and waved a hand in front of his face.  
“I have become weak,” Loki said, his voice surprising even himself with its quietness and seriousness.  
Y/N didn’t say anything, but she looked more serious and stepped back.  
“Because of you. For I fear I might have fallen in love with you, Y/N from Earth.”  
He uttered the words and felt his heart flutter. But only one second later he realised he had made a mistake. Something told him that this wasn’t right.  
“No you have not”, was the only thing she said in response.  
“I …”, he started, his face unguarded in disbelief. Y/N’s hands curled into fists at her sides and everything around him started vibrating, some books started to levitate in the air. “You have not fallen in love with me. You’re trying to manipulate me.” She looked incredibly hurt.  
Loki wanted to scream, wanted to break things, wanted to tell her it was not true. But it was.  
“Listen, Loki. I have come here every day willingly and I have even come to enjoy our time together. But the stupidest thing I have done was to trust you to - because now, after 6 months, you’re still trying to manipulate me. I do not like being messed with.”  
Fearing she had already said too much she made her way to her little passageway out of the cell.  
Loki finally found his ability to speak again.“I’m getting out in three days.”  
She stopped in her tracks for a moment but didn’t turn around. “I will see you around, then.”  
And with that, she left.  
The last three days of Loki’s imprisonment seemed longer and lonelier than the 7 months he had endured.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey, long time no see! I'm not suuuuper pleased with this chapter. I started writing this fic years and years ago, so some chapters are weirdly short, have a weird vibe, etc, and no matter how hard I try, I can't seem to fix them properly. But hey, I've done my best. Rest assured the next few chapters were written recently, so they're much better. Either way, hope you enjoy! And if you have any ideas or feedback on where this is going, I'd really appreciate it! thanks for reading x


	8. November 25 2015, Asgardia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki and Y/N have known each other for months now, but never beyond the limitations of his cell. So what happens when they meet each other after Loki gets out? Well, the circumstances are strange, to say the least, and way more intimate than they both expected.

Loki had been wandering the halls of the palace for an hour.   
It was the middle of the night and he hadn’t been able to sleep. Freedom felt strange to him after 6 months of the same, white room. He enjoyed the fresh air on the balcony. He enjoyed how he ran into people who barely gave him a second glance, going about their daily chores.   
But he missed her. He hadn’t seen Y/N since he told her he was in love with her. She hadn’t come by during the last three days of his imprisonment and he hadn’t seen her around the palace. At first, he feared she had left and gone back to Earth, but some guards he asked told him she was still here, just very busy. With what, they couldn’t tell him. They could, however, tell him that her room was right next to his.   
On the stairs back to his room he passed two guards who were quietly conversing. He nodded to them and went on his way.   
He was wondering how he would be able to get back to sleep when he suddenly heard a voice crying and struggling. He was stood in front of Y/N’s door. Inside he heard her thrashing around under her covers, quietly talking in her sleep. She seemed to have a nightmare. He knocked quietly and waited for a response. When none came and he heard her beg for someone to stop he entered. She was splayed out in her bed, only the moonlight reflecting on her white hair and the tears that stained her cheeks. Her breathing got more ragged and Loki decided to wake her up, not being able to stand to see her in so much pain.  
“Y/N, darling, wake up, it’s me”, he murmured, approaching the bed hesitantly. When he sat down on the edge she started awake. After a moment of staring at him, she seemed to be back in reality again and she sat up, her arms curled around herself.   
This was the first time they were completely alone together, unobserved, not watched by guards and other prison inmates. The thought crossed Loki’s mind for just a second.   
He extended his hand to her and when she didn’t stop him he started stroking her hair. He scooted closer to her and she slowly accepted his comforting touch. It was a strange sensation, to finally touch her, after having spent so many months together.   
“What are you doing here?”, she asked quietly, vulnerably.  
“I couldn’t sleep and when I walked past your room I heard you so I woke you up.”  
She just nodded and they sat in silence for a moment, Loki still caressing her head softly.   
“Thank you. I hope I haven’t kept you from sleeping for too long”, she finally murmured, looking up at him with big eyes. In this light, her eyes looked huge and dark.  
“It’s fine, really. I can’t sleep anyways.”  
“Maybe ... if you don’t mind, you could sleep here. I could use the company …”, Y/N said nervously, wringing her hands in her lap. Loki smiled. So this is what she looked like when she was nervous. He considered it for a moment, but something kept him there. Maybe it was the earnestness in her voice, or how courageous he thought it was of her to outright ask him. He didn’t have the heart to refuse her and he also hadn’t had a normal night’s sleep in what felt like years.  
“Let’s get you tucked up again, then”, he just said and she slipped under the covers. He pulled them up around her shoulders and got into bed next to her. For a moment they just lay there looking at each other.   
“You didn’t mean it when you said you loved me, right?”  
“No.”  
At least he didn’t think so. Loki didn’t feel like he lied, but he didn’t feel like he told the truth either. Getting out changed his perspective on life again and all of a sudden he found himself confused, unsure. Suddenly, he wasn’t so sure that what he had felt that day in his cell was love at all. He didn’t know what it was but he decided to let it rest. This one could wait. She just nodded and closed her eyes. He did the same and fell asleep much faster than he would have on his own.


	9. December 2, 2015 - Asgard

“Yeah, and that’s how I got my white hair.”   
Loki chuckled and looked from her to the sky in front of him. It was autumn in Asgard, Loki’s favourite time of the year. The leaves were a deep golden, the air started to get colder and colder, brushing around your nose in anticipation of winter. But his favourite part was the sunsets.   
Ever since that first night he had gotten out of prison, Y/N and Loki’s relationship had come to rest in a comfortable friendship. They spent almost every day together. Sometimes Loki picked Y/N up from her training sessions, sometimes she would wake him up in the mornings and persuade him to show her some part of Asgard she hadn’t seen yet.   
Tonight, like many nights these days, they were sat outside on a balcony, watching the sun set over a city that seemed dipped in gold. The stars were twinkling in the sky and everything had a warm, pink glow to it. From the courtyard and the city, there was the busy white noise of chatter, music, and laughter ringing up to them. It was very peaceful.  
They had their feet propped up on the railing. When Loki looked over, Y/N was nudging him with the big bottle of rum they had nicked from the kitchens earlier. He took it and took a long gulp.   
“You know, life could be worse,” Loki suddenly mused. Y/N looked over at him and cocked her head.   
“What does that mean then?”  
“I don’t know,” he trailed off for a second. “I suppose I’m just enjoying how calm everything is. Thor is here, Odin is still on the throne, the seasons are passing by, I’m not in prison.”   
Y/N just nodded and looked over the city.   
“It’s funny, I never took you for someone who enjoyed the quiet life. Me? Sure. But the god of mischief? To be honest, I didn’t think you’d stay here long.”   
Loki contemplated this for a moment. She wasn’t wrong, this wasn’t usually something he would have enjoyed. His whole life had been him chasing the next big plot, the next chapter, the next thing to steal, the next person to get revenge on. The list went on and on. And then there was New York. And Thanos. Just the thought of him made a shiver run down his spine.   
“What’s wrong?” Y/N asked, leaning forward and placing her hand gently on his arm.   
“It’s … it’s nothing,” he just murmured and plucked her hand from him gently. But he couldn’t meet her eyes.   
She hesitated. Whatever it was Loki had just thought about clearly affected him greatly, making him physically shudder. But she didn’t want to press the matter, seeing his obvious discomfort. Yet, she couldn’t shake the feeling of uneasiness in seeing Loki, who was usually always so composed and fearless, look so shaken and uncertain.  
Loki took another big gulp from the bottle and handed it to Y/N.  
“Do you miss Earth?” he asked her, in a weak attempt to change the subject. But to his relief, she went with it.   
“Sometimes, yeah. Mostly my dad, to be honest. But apart from that what do I have there?! I have an Avengers job I was slowly but surely forced into by Fury, a huge tower full of millions of people, a girl with telekinetic powers to babysit, an ex-boyfriend who I now have to work with. And apart from that, I’ve never had many friends. Go figure …”   
She left the last sentence hang in the air. What rang through her voice wasn’t self-pity or -deprecation, just resignation. She had gotten used to it about 15 years ago, the fact that she only made few deep connections, the rest remaining in uncomfortable awkwardness probably for the rest of time.   
“So you don’t like being an Avenger?” Loki inquired.   
Y/N shrugged her shoulders.   
“I mean, I don’t hate it. I’m not sure, I guess I never imagined myself taking this kind of path. I mean there was a time in my life when I trained every day and half of my life was us trying to figure out my powers. But that kind of shattered at one point, and then I just promised myself to get a normal person job and live a normal life. I never planned to be one of these ‘superheroes’ or whatever you want to call it. I don’t feel like a hero at all.”   
Loki made a non-committal noise in the back of his throat. She looked at him questioningly.   
“Oh no, I didn’t … I just, I think even apart from your powers, you do have what it takes to be a leader. Maybe you don’t fit the Steve Roger’s mould of dimwit, idealistic superhero, but somewhere, it fits.”   
Y/N was speechless for a minute. Loki looked so serious and pensive. “Well, now you sound like my dad,” she said, trying to get hold of her voice but it cracked a little and she chuckled nervously and cleared her throat. “Seriously though, thank you, that actually means a lot.”   
Loki just looked at her gently and smiled.   
“You’re underestimating yourself, Y/N. I mean in some areas you’re horribly arrogant but sometimes you don’t even know what you’re capable of.”   
Y/N let out a laugh and punched Loki in the shoulder jokingly.   
“I don’t know how you do it, but every time you compliment someone you have to wrap into a joke, an insult and then another joke.”   
Loki laughed and smirked at her. “Can’t be too charming now, can I. I have a bad reputation to uphold.”


	10. June 20, 2016 - Asgard

Y/N twirled around one last time in front of the mirror in her room.

Her dress was a dark, burgundy red and was laced with thin, silver thread. She had to admit she loved it despite not usually being a huge fan of Asgardian fashion. This wasn’t her first feast or celebration or whatever they called it, but for some reason today she felt calmer and more like herself than she had since she got here. She felt like she finally got used to being on a different planet. The loneliness had subsided as well, since she had found Loki. She wasn’t sure what she was feeling for him, but she knew that he had turned out to be a pretty damn good friend. Something also told her that this story wasn’t nearly at its end yet.

Tucking a strand of hair from behind her ear to frame her face, she left her room and headed to the big hall. When she walked in and looked around she caught Loki’s eye. A smile spread across his face and he quickly looked her up and down before he rushed towards her and took her arm.

“Good evening, Lady Y/N,” he said to her with a smirk, his voice more velvety than usual.

“Good evening, my prince,” she murmured, mimicking his tone and looking up at him with a similar smirk. When he returned her gaze his eyes fluttered to her lips for a split second before they were back looking right into her eyes. “If I may say, you are looking stunning tonight.”

Y/N smiled and looked away, letting her eyes drift around the room.

“You don’t look too bad yourself, thank you.”

“Let me show you off to some people. My father has been speaking of the fact that it would do him some good if I showed off a prospective wife and you are here and beautiful so it’s all just very convenient.”

Before Y/N had a chance to feel annoyed or surprised, let alone say something, she was already too close. He had led her over to where Thor and Odin were standing with some royal looking people she had never seen before.

“Oh, let me introduce you to one extraordinary Midgardian,” Odin exclaimed while motioning towards Loki and Y/N to join them.

_Loki! I don’t know how to properly greet someone of status, fucking help me! Y/N_ , instantly panicking, projected into Loki’s mind while still keeping a smile on her face towards the outside.

_Do a small courtesy. Like you know where you belong but you also have some dignity._ Loki replied while shaking the visitors' hands.

Y/N awkwardly courtesy-d and small talk ensued.

_I swear to God, you wait until this over. Using me to lie to someone without warning me and then not even preparing me for this. Are you serious?!_

Y/N was actually angry but for now, she was cut off. Dinner was being served and she was led to a seat at the table next to Thor. And when she was sat Loki sat down next to her. It was funny how there had not been a single day since he had gotten out of his imprisonment when he did not sit next to her.

 

The conversations were getting louder all around them and laughter echoed through the hall. Y/N was still fascinated by all of this. It was like everything she had always heard about in history class, about these crazy medieval celebrations. And now she was living one.

Loki suddenly tapped her on the shoulder and motioned over to the dancers, who were slowly, elegantly moving along to the music.

“Would you care for a dance, my lady?” he murmured to her and smirked.

“Loki, I …”, Y/N started but he had already stood up and held out his hand. Now she really didn’t have a choice. Their table was at the head of the hall, with every single guest being able to see them. So she stood up and walked beside Loki towards the middle of the room.

“Um, … you know I don’t think I know how to dance properly to this kind of music. I’ve never done it before.”

When they reached the dance floor, one of her hands found his and the other she placed on his shoulder.

“See, love, you already got that part right. Now just let yourself be lead, I got you,” he promised her with a gentle smile. So she did, and to her surprise, it worked. She didn’t know how much magic was involved at first when she moved much more gracefully and felt much more sure-footed than she actually could be, but soon she got the hang of it.

“So, can we talk about what you put me through earlier? Couldn’t you have warned me before you use me to lie?”

Loki actually looked at the floor at this and smiled at her apologetically.

“I am sorry about that. I just didn’t know if you would have agreed to pretending to be engaged to someone like me and I couldn’t risk it.”

Y/N was stunned silent for a second and just squinted at him quizzically.

“Why the hell would you think that?”

Loki just shrugged and avoided her eyes.

“Hey, that wasn’t the only reason you invited me here tonight, right? You did actually want the company, or did you just need me to make people believe you would get married?” Y/N had trouble getting this question out. She felt insecure and still at times unsure when it came to Loki’s intentions. At this point, she knew she could trust him but she also knew his nature, which was a great deal more complicated than just simple trust could explain.

Loki vehemently shook his head.

“Y/N, love, of course I wanted you here for the company! I would never … Don’t doubt that I want you around ever again!”

When Y/N looked at him she thought she saw something like hurt in his eyes but it vanished as quickly as it had appeared. They were still swirling around the room when the music suddenly got slower and the couples around them moved closer to their partners. They were lost in thought for a moment and when Y/N returned she realised how close Loki had gotten to her. He looked at her with his crystal blue eyes.

When he spoke she could his breath warm on her face.

“You make my life a great deal more enjoyable, Y/N, believe me. It’s half as dull here and you are a great companion. I wouldn’t want you to ever leave, if I’m being honest.”

Loki had added that last part as a soft murmur, but due to how close they were it was loud enough for Y/N to hear.

She looked up at him and observed his face. How his dark, black locks fell around his face in waves. How there were small wrinkles around his eyes from laughter, how his eyebrows were drawn together slightly, worrying. She whispered a quiet “hey”, and when he turned his face to look into her eyes she gave him a small smile.

“I feel the same way, Loki, and I don’t plan on going anywhere anytime soon.” He smiled back at her and his eyes flitted across her face like he was taking in every detail. His hand had slipped a bit further on her back and was pressing her solidly towards him. Y/N realised how safe and comforting it felt.

“So, God of Mischief, what are we gonna with this night?” She smirked and he barked out a laugh, his hand squeezing hers.

“I do have some ideas …"


	11. August 31 2016, Asgard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All good things must come to an end.

“I’m sorry, Y/N, but I really have to go.”   
Y/N sat on her bed in front of Loki, looking more than a little lost. He had just told her that he was going to leave Asgard for a while. What he had omitted was the reason. Or the fact that he had little to no choice in the matter. If he wanted to live, that is.   
Y/N looked at him sadly.   
“I don’t know why I’m surprised. I never expected you to stay for very long anyway,” she murmured. Loki really didn’t want to leave. “I’m sorry.”   
She let out a sigh. “No, don’t be, I get it. I figured that this wouldn’t last forever. It’s just been really nice, is all.”  
He sat down next to her and took her hands, looking into her eyes intently.   
“Y/N, I need you to believe me. I don’t want to go. I would much rather stay here and spend time with you and live this life. But … but the truth is that I have no choice. I have something to take care of that can’t be avoided.”   
Y/N looked at him for a moment but seemed to believe him. She opened her mouth and closed it again, hesitating.   
“And you’re sure I can’t come and help?”   
Loki sighed and shook his head. “I wish you could, I really do.”   
Y/N nodded and looked away from him, drawing her hands from his. “So, that’s back to Earth for me. Back to Tony, back to the Avengers. God damn, this sucks.” She dropped her head into her hands frustratedly.  
Loki ran his hand through his hair and sighed again. This wasn’t easy. He got up and went for the door when he thought she was going to just give him the silent treatment.  
“Just one more thing,” he suddenly heard her say behind him in a small voice “… will I ever see you again? Because I heard that you have a tendency to disappear for years and years on end.”   
Loki stopped in his tracks. A quiet ‘oh’ made its way past his lips. When he turned around she looked upset and it nearly broke Loki’s heart. There was no guarantee he would make out of this alive, that he would strike some kind of bargain with Thanos that would appease the latter enough to let him live. And as much as he would like to reassure her but it wasn’t fair. To let her hope and wait for years when he was likely to be killed.  
“I … I don’t know. If I have a choice in the matter, yes. But I’m not certain I will.”   
Loki slapped himself internally. This is what he had wanted to avoid. All of these emotions made him promise things he couldn’t keep. “Oh …” Y/N's expression suddenly changed. It seemed like she understood some part of that sentence and Loki cursed himself again. “Fuck …” she murmured.   
That’s when she got up and came over to him and wrapped her arms tightly around him. Loki was taken aback but reciprocated her embrace. It felt nice to have her in his arms, but he also felt tears sting his eyes. She was such a pure being and he hated hurting the one person who had stood by his side and understood him like nobody else.   
Her hands were resting on his back and when she pulled back they went to his face. “Look out for yourself out there. Don’t get cocky. Don’t be a martyr. Be smart like I know you are. Be the God of Mischief.”   
She said this so seriously that he couldn’t help but just nod. His heart soared with a strange sense of determination. He would crush the titan with whatever it took him. Out of a sudden urge, he pressed a kiss to Y/N’s forehead. Before taking a step back and bowing slightly.   
“Farewell, Y/N of Earth.”   
Y/N smiled back gently and straightened her back, even though there were still tears in her eyes.   
“Farewell, Loki Laufeyson.”   
With one last look, Loki turned around and made his way out of the room, out of the castle, towards the bi-frost. It was going to be a long journey, but he felt more determined and prepared than he ever was.


End file.
